Projects

Working with a coalition on a public will-building campaign to help pass first-in-the-nation Air Quality Control Commission rules regulating air emissions from oil and gas operations. The rules ended up being passed with the support of of oil and gas companies, environmentalists and state regulators.

Working with the State of Colorado on a statewide literacy tour to promote early childhood reading and education.

Working with a coalition of more than 4o members to help pass national health care reform. Our coalition is dedicated to ensuring that the bill sent to President Obama makes health insurance affordable, ensures competition that will drive down prices and requires shared responsibility for employers. MEC helped design and implement the earned media strategy around this effort.

Leading a public education/free media campaign around transgender issues. We knew this issue would be a focus of news coverage due to an upcoming high-profile trial of a man accused of killing a transgender woman. We seized the opportunity that heightened interest provided and in the weeks before the trial we worked with state, regional and national media on a series of stories highlighting transgender people and the issues they face in everyday life. The campaign resulted in a number of compelling stories, columns and op-eds apart from the trial coverage focusing on transgender people and their lives. We also secured editorials in major publications supporting national hate crimes legislation.

Leading the team that designed and implemented the strategic communications and public education campaign for Denver’s Road Home, Mayor Hickenlooper’s 10-year plan to end homelessness; working closely with the manager of the Denver Department of Human Services, the director of Denver’s Road Home, the mayor and his staff to strategically implement the 10-year plan. Serve as a key advisor to Roxane White, the former Manager of Denver Human Services.

Served as a member of the senior campaign and strategy team that passed Issues A through I, the infrastructure bond issue in Denver in 2007. Helped design and implement the strategy that led to voter approval of all nine ballot initiatives. Worked closely with key political leadership including Mayor Hickenlooper, Bruce Benson, Frances Koncilja and other campaign co-chairs.

Worked with Rutt Bridges and The Bighorn Center for Public Policy on the precursor to Referendums C and D. This work laid the groundwork for the policy decisions that led to the passage of Referendum C. Also designed and led the team that implemented FairVote Colorado, a quick-response system that widely disseminated information about complicated new identification rules for voting and allowed those having problems on Election Day to get real time help and exercise their right to vote.

Served as Deputy Campaign Manager for Rollie Heath’s 2002 bid for governor. In that capacity provided leadership to the campaign’s strategy team; oversaw a full-time staff of 15; researched and wrote policy papers on key statewide issues and handled the planning and execution of campaign strategy. The candidate faced an incumbent opponent who had a 7-to-1 fundraising advantage and was ultimately defeated at the polls. However, Mr. Heath was widely credited with building a top-notch team and running an excellent campaign.

Was a leader of the team that sought reasonable implementation for Amendment 41. Worked with Jared Polis and his team seeking reasonable implementation of Amendment 41, a ballot initiative passed overwhelmingly by voters that set up strict ethics guidelines for government employees. Unfortunately, while the ethics measure had widespread support, it was interpreted in a number of ways that brought harm to government employees and their families..